Photocatalysts have been used for various purposes, such as in antimicrobial, air refreshment, deodorization, and antifouling applications.
For example, visible light activated photocatalysts can be deployed for self-cleaning, air and water purification and many other interesting applications usually without any post-deployment non-renewable energy costs. This is because the photocatalysts are able to decompose pollutants (like dyes, volatile organic compounds and NOx) using light available in the ambient like solar radiation or indoor and outdoor lighting. With the anticipated rapid adoption of UV-free indoor lighting (like LEDs and OLEDs), it is imperative to find ways to deploy visible-light activated photocatalysts in indoor applications for instance in cleaning room air in domestic, public and commercial spaces especially in confined areas like aircraft, public buildings, etc. Moreover, additional applications for antibacterial surfaces and self-cleaning materials can have wide applicability in the food service, transportation, health care and hospitality sectors.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an antimicrobial deodorizing sheet that includes a sheet main body with an exposed titanium dioxide surface, and an adhesive layer laminated on the back surface of the sheet main body. Patent Literature 1 discloses that UV irradiation of the antimicrobial deodorizing sheet purifies air where the antimicrobial deodorizing sheet is attached, and weakens the activity of the surrounding microorganisms. The antimicrobial deodorizing sheet uses a silicone resin or a fluororesin as the constituting material of the base material sheet of the sheet main body.
In addition, various methods have been proposed to fix photocatalysts such as titanium oxide. See, for example, Patent Literatures 2 to 6. Thus there is a need for affixation of photocatalysts such as titanium oxide to substrate surfaces.